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1837 – Characteristics Of Social Networks Of Patients With Psychotic Disorders: a Systematic Literature Review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 April 2020

C. Palumbo
Affiliation:
Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, Barts and the London Medical School, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK Department of Neuroscience and Sense Organ, University of Bari, Bari
A. Matanov
Affiliation:
Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, Barts and the London Medical School, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
U. Volpe
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Naples SUN, Naples, Italy
S. Priebe
Affiliation:
Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK

Abstract

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Introduction

The concept of the “social network” (SN) describes the set of social relationships of an individual. SNs of patients with psychotic disorders have often been investigated in the last few decades, however, diverse theories and different assessment methods were utilised within this field of research.

Objectives

To assess morphological (size, density, degree) and interactional (direction and intensity) characteristics of SNs of patients with psychotic disorders reported in different studies.

Aims

To explore the characteristics of the SNs of psychotic patients and to identify the factors that influence their size and composition.

Methods

A systematic literature review was carried out using the databases MEDLINE, PsychInfo and EMBASE. When feasible, the characteristics of SNs were compared across studies.

Results

Out of 739 identified studies, 142 reported quantitative findings on SN characteristics. 27 (19%) of them reported figures on the size of SNs in a way that allowed meaningful comparison across studies. For all other SN characteristics, only descriptive accounts were possible. The overall mean network size was 15.2 (SD 9.4). Being single was negatively correlated with SN size.

Conclusions

The concept of SNs in psychotic disorders has been underpinned by diverse theoretical frameworks and assessed with a variety of tools. Only a small number of studies were methodologically comparable, which makes findings on SN characteristics and associated factors difficult to interpret. There is a need to develop standardised instruments in order to advance the quality of the research in the field.

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Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 2013
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